PITTSFIELD, MA -- There’s a problem at the Berkshire Humane Society that has some here barking mad.
"The morning started by having two abandoned animals on our doorstep. One was a cat and one was also a puppy," said Berkshire Humane Society community outreach coordinator Karen Karlberg.
The humane society has to send all abandoned dogs to the pound before they can take them in. But they say the bigger problem is a recent increase in abandoned animals, along with a decrease in pet adoption numbers. That has officials here wondering if it's a result of tough economic times.
"I think overall, you're looking at people who are starting to tighten their budget strings. You know, they might not be looking for that dog right now because they don't know what's going on financially. The reality is finances are a little tight. Gas prices keep going up," said Berkshire Humane Society K-9 services manager Lisa Corbett.
Today alone, there have already been six cats surrendered here. That's why they said the need for more adopters is as high as it's ever been.
A Humane Society in Berkshire County is seeing an increase in the number of animals surrendered to them, which means the need for adopters is as high as it's ever been. And as Ryan Burgess found out, the shelter is wondering if this problem is a consequence of the weakening economy.
"Litters of kittens are starting to come in, it's spring and people do a lot of moving and they decide that their pets become leavable or disposable," said Karlberg.
Those increases have forced the shelter to turn their triage unit into an animal housing room. They said the weakening economy means people stop by, but only to window shop.
"We see an increase in people looking for dogs, just because summer's coming and they want to be home with the dog, but the reality is that as far as finances are concerned, it's a little tight right now," said Corbett.
A tighter wallet means these animals may be looking for an owner through the glass for a while.